The present invention relates to a sensor probe housing. More specifically, the present invention relates to a total temperature probe with a complimentary sensor cavity for measuring the properties of a rapidly flowing fluid.
Sensors have long been utilized to measure the properties of fast flowing fluids. This is particularly the case with jet aircraft and other air vehicles where environmental conditions can rapidly adversely affect the performance of the vehicle resulting in inefficient and/or unsafe operation of the vehicle. Environment fluid flow conditions can also be useful in connection with monitoring engine performance as well as predictive weather condition monitoring.
One type of sensor housing that can be mounted on the external surface of an aircraft such as that seen in FIG. 1 or in U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,538 to Phillips. This type of device consists of a temperature probe with a sensor housing with a sensor head and an associated scoop that together form a primary airflow path. A sample chamber inside the sensor housing diverts flowing fluid from the primary airflow path to a temperature sensor housed within the sample chamber. This configuration permits the sensor to determine the total air temperature which is a function of the ambient temperature plus any temperature rise associated with the adiabatic heating caused by resistance of the rapidly flowing fluid within the sensor housing. While this arrangement filters out large particulate so that only gases contact the temperature sensor, the sensor housing is not equipped to house additional or multifunctional sensors such as water vapor sensors.
It should therefore be appreciated that there remains a need for a sensor housing configured to simultaneously monitor multiple properties of a rapidly flowing fluid or gas.
The present invention is embodied in a probe for measuring the properties of a flowing fluid. The probe includes a sensor housing positioned at a predetermined immersion depth from a working surface, with the housing configured to provide a primary flow path for passing the liquid or gas therethrough in a primary flow path direction. In addition, a sample chamber is provided that is adjacent but out of the primary flow path. The sample chamber is fluidly connected to the primary flow path to receive a portion of the flowing fluid that is diverted to make a turn out of the primary flow path while traveling at essentially the same immersion depth as fluid flowing in the primary flow path. In addition, an ancillary chamber adjacent to the sample but out of the primary flow path, is fluidly connected to the sample chamber to receive a portion of the flowing fluid that is diverted into the sample chamber.
In some embodiments, a water vapor sensor is placed within the ancillary chamber and in other embodiments other sensors are utilized to measure the properties of the rapidly flowing fluid.
In yet another embodiment, the invention comprises a sensor housing for measuring the properties of a flowing fluid. The sensor housing includes a scoop having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the scoop provides a primary flow path for passing the fluid from the inlet to the outlet. A sample chamber houses a first sensor and is fluidly coupled to the scoop so that a portion of the fluid flowing through the scoop is diverted into the sample chamber. Furthermore, the sensor housing includes an ancillary chamber for housing a second sensor, where the ancillary chamber is fluidly coupled to the sample chamber and configured to divert a portion of the fluid flowing through the sample chamber into the ancillary chamber.
Though the current system is described in connection with a particularly constructed total temperature probe, it will be appreciated that the current system may be adapted to other probes measuring conditions within rapidly flowing fluids.